Wigwag stop signal



March 18, 1930. w. E. SIGNOR 1,751,018

WIGWAG STOP SIGNAL Filed April 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 6, 1928 WILLIAM E. 5|GNOR INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 18. 1530 i v 1 75 I UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca WILLIAM E. SIGNOR, or GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA WIGWAG sro r SIGNAL Application filed April 6, 1928. Serial No. 268,015.

This invention relates to stop signals, and as seen from the off-set line III-III of Fig. more particularly to a signal of the wig-wag 2 to show a fragmental portion of the motor type primarily intended for attachment to drive gearing. motor vehicles and serving to avoid collision Fig. 4 represents a rear View of the assem- 5 or other accident by visually and effectively bled device shown in Fig. 1. I

notifying any following driver of intent on Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of one of the part of the preceding driver to slow up or plural lenses mounted into the removable bring his car to a halt. cover of my signal casing as taken through It is the object of this invention to provide the section line V--V of Fig. 1.

10 an improved stop signal of this character Fig. 6 and 7 detail a support flange adaptcapable of strikingly attracting attention to ed to mount said casing to one side thereof itself on part of any rear driver especially with the motor drive equipment disposed under conditions of fast night highway drivupon the other flange side. ing, and to this end my improved device is Fig. 8 shows an elevational side view of a preferably equipt with a motor driven oscilmotor vehiclev provided with rear bumpers lating arm carrying an electric light bulb having my signal device mounted thereon. that is energized whenever it is desired to Fig. 9 is a rear elevational view of the make the signal operative. This single light car shown in Fig. 8, while Figs. 10 and 11 source is adapted to swing-behind and sucprovide for a suitable style of bumper bracket cessively reglster with a series of spaced adapted to carry the support flange of my delenses preferably of different colors, and vice. said oscillating lamp means may further be Figs. 12 and 13 respectively detail elevaprovided with a supplementary reflector tional and sectional views of the swingable thereby to direct a greater portion of its rays light arm as equipt with a plain reflector, through said lenses. As aresult of the use of while Fig. 14 shows a modification in that 7 such differently colored lenses, the movement a similar arm is provided with a parabolic of the wig-Wag arm is vitally accentuated, reflector. thus producing a novel and'highly attractive Fig. 15 schematically represents the signal signal effect that can be readily distinguished wiring diagram as applied to the motor ve- 30 at distance far greater than applies to conhicle shown in Fig. 8. so ventional automotive stop devices. Referring more particularly to said draw- The present invention further compreings, A denotes as a whole, a sheet metal hends the rovision of a dust-proof casing signal casing preferably of sector-like shape enclosure or swinging the wig-wag arm having converging radially disposed side 35 therein, and also provides for improved walls 2 and A which are rounded off at A arrangement and constructive features for with the outermost ends thereof subtended carrying out the combination above indicatby the arcuate side wall A. These interconed, all of which will hereinafter be set fort nected side walls may be integrally closed by in detail. a substantially flat bottom wall A' but leav- Reference is had to the accompanying two ing the mouth ed e of the upright side walls sheets of drawings which are illustrative of open and adapte to be closed by the front a specific embodiment of my invention as apenclosing casing cover A. plied to motor vehicle stop lights, in which This sheet metal cover preferably comlike characters of reference indicate like parts prises a slightly indented flat sector-shaped 5 in the several views, and in which drawings: plate of metal A having a circumscribing 0 Fig. 1 is an elevational front or lens view of laterally disposed rim A adapted to snugly my assembled device, while Fig. 2 is a verembrace the outside contour of the casmg tical transverse section thereof as taken along mouth edge, and which rim portion may be line 11-11 of Fig. 1. removably retained in place by screw means Fig.3 shows a sectional view of my device such as A". Disposed within and closely adlens assemblies such as A, A etc., Which Gil jacent to the contour of the arcuate portion of said rim A are shown a series of spaced place as indicated by A One distinctive feature of the present invention lies in a suitable combination of contrasted colors or tints. For instance, the color scheme intended in connection with Fig. 1, may comprise green lenses such as A carried in the two outermost or end frames, then two red lenses in the inwardly adjacent frames such as A and finally yellow, amber or any other distinctive color for the two centrally or medially disposed lenses such as A Radially inward from said lens frames, the sector-like plate A is providedwitha further elongated aperture behind which may be mounted a transparent colored glass pane A preferably of amber or other light tint bearing the legend Stop thereon, and in turn removably held in place by the clips It will be obvious that the cover A together with its described associated parts may be removed as a unit so as to expose the interior of the otherwise closed and dust proof casing A Mounted behind said plural spaced lenses, is a swingable electric light bulb B that may be intermittently energized by any suitable source of current in the manner presently to be described. Said bulb may be removably mounted in a socket B which is suitably insulated and carried upon the outer end of the wig-wag arm B Immediately behind said bulb and also carried with the movable arm B is a reflector B serving to direct the light rays through the respective lenses while they are passed in sequence by the lamp B. It has been found in practice that the individual lenses are distinctly lighted up in successive order as viewed from a distance,,although the casing interior may at the same time be kept dimly illuminated throughout. The desired fantastic effect is materially enhanced by use of the described different colored lenses since this expedient more sharply focuses attention upon the signal immediately upon setting said wig-wag light into sustained oscillation. If desired, the contour of said reflector B may be modified so as to comprise a parabolic shape B having an open mouth portion as shown in Fig. 14, adapted to closely sweep by the adjacent lens frames.

This alternative cuts off more of the surplus h light from the interior of the casing A and at the same time promotes sending more light rays through the particular lens that may at that instant be standingin registering with the bulb B Referring further to the structural details of said wig-wag arm B, its pivot end is provided with a hub B adapted to be locked to the' shaft B,. This shaft is preferably mounted closely adjacent to the center portion of the arcuateside wall A and may extend rearwardly away from and innormal relation to the cover A. The bottom casing wall A may be provided with an offset flat portion against which the support flange C is abutted, and these parts may be secured together by screw means such as C As shown in Fig. 7,, said flange is further provided with a bearing aperture C through which the shaft B oscillates and such movement may be imparted thereto through the -medium of the pinionB. On'the rear side of said flange (see Fig. 2), there may be mounted a conventional electric motor of suitable design and essentially comprising the pole piece C, a rotating armature C preferably provided with commutator equipment including an armature shaft C. The drive end of this shaft may be provided with a pinion C adapted to be driven through a train of reduction gears or the like, serving in the present instance to bring about a slow rotation on part ofthe component gear C of which the pintle is carried by said flange C in a rearwardly overhanging relation. This gear is shown as equipt with crank pin member C adapted to carry one end of the rack 0 and arranged to impart a reciprocating movement thereto. This rack meshes with the fulcrum shaft pinion B; when the motor is set in motion, the train of drive gears will cause the wig-wag arm to swing back and forth in a comparatively slow period through the angle marked K (see Fig. 3). My relatively high speed motor is intended to run at substantially constant revolutions but a dwell will occur whenever the bulb B assumes alignment with the respective end lens assemblies such as A 9; accordingly, the color of these particular lenses will predominate in my signal because the intermediate lenses will be swept past at a more rapid rate.

One face of the support flange C is further provided with an upstanding circumscribing rim C adapted to be snugly received into the mouth of the drive cover C, which enclosure protects the motor drive parts and at the same time enhances the appearance of the assembled signal device. 'It will also be observed that the casing A as mounted upon the opposite face of said flange C is similarly fully enclosed and this serves to keep the lenses together with the light bulb free from obstructive road dust deposits and the like. For the purpose of convenientl mounting my unitary signal structure, eaccorner of the flange C is preferably provided with perforated ear lug such as C extending laterally with respect to the respective radial casing walls A and A Turning now to the intended application of my signal'device, the specific disclosure indicated by Figs. 8 and 9 shows this device attached to the rear bumper of a motor car. In this instance, the complementary flange lugs C may be secured to a bracket D by the screws D this bracket being purposely given a cross-sectional Z shape, of which the free leg may be clamped against the face of the spaced twin bumper bars D and D by means of the bolt D Said Z shape bracket allows of offsetting my signal forwardly toward the car body in order to keep all such non-projecting signal members Within the protective limits of the bumper.

The illustrated style of wig-wag signal is preferably used in association with a conventional tail light D which is here shown as mounted within the spare tire carrier D" and disposed to illuminate the license plate D in the usual fashion. It will be apparent however that my device may likewise be mounted upon the front bumper or on both front and rear bumpers if so desired, also that a suitable tail light element could readily be embodied within a separately formed compartment of my signal casing.

Fig. 11 shows in detail a common motor car bulb socket B as equipt with a centrally disposed insulated feed wire E that is preferably led to the insulated binding post E From this post there may be connected another lead wire E which runs to the electric motor terminal. As will be understood,

the complementary motor terminal and also that of the bulb socket are intended to be grounded in the usual manner. The accompanying wiring diagram is represented in Fig. 15 where the wig-wag lamp B and the motor M are connected in parallel with respect to the post E From the car battery E*, a lead wire may be carried to the post E and placed under command of the throw switch E The preferred mode of control is shown in partial section in Fig. 8 where the switch is actuated by the foot brake pedal E such that the switch will make contact only when said lever is pressed forward to exert brake action upon the Wheel arm. Upon closing the switch, the battery E starts the motor and simultaneously lights up the lamp B whereupon the latter is given its characteristic wig-wag movement and this sustained regular beat-like movement unabatedly continues until the pedal is again released.

As a result, a; distinctive stop signal will be sent forth and the effect of the oscillating lighted lamp is made all the more conspicuous because of the constantly changing colored light which my device is ca .abl of emitting. When desired, the use 0 th described colored lenses permits of so closely spacing the housing thereof as to virtually maintain a continuous flood of projected signal light. It is however within the province of the present invention to resort to any distinctlyseparated lenses either tinted or otherwise, particularly when so spaced as to constitute ablind parting therebetween adapted to bring about a successiveflashing on part of a single movable source of light that will cause the dimmed rays to substantially or-wholly fade out while said light source passes from one lens to another.

In either case, the light movement with respect to the several lens bottoms is sharply emphasized andthe optical display produced is most effective particlularly at night,

in that it instantly catches the eye of a casual observer. In this regard, the light effects that can be attained with my colored combination lenses, are far superior as a stop signal to that which results when a swinging light is made to oscillate behind a single piece of colored glass without blind spots or even behind a series of spaced lenses of one and the same color.

Said wig-wag light is intended to be kept operative during day-time driving but for such use, it is preferably supplemented by.

simultaneous illumination on part of the stop pane A which can readily be observed in daylight by any driver of a closely following car. However, this improved wigwag light signal proves most advantageous when used after night fall and particularly for high speed high-way driving since it can then be picked up and seen ahead at a very considerable distance as compared to any ordinary non-movable stop light devices. The legend used in connection with such conventional means lacks proper Visibility, and otherwiseproves inadequate at a distance; with my wig-wag device on the contrary, the cited display of changing colored lights dispatches an impressive signal rearward that any careful night driver intuitively understands to mean danger ahead.

An important aspect of the present invention therefore resides in devisin a series of separate transparencies adapte to provide for a suitable contrasting color scheme, such that when a single movable light member is swung behind said cooperating lenses, it will successively register and flash projecting rays therethrough for stop signalling purposes.

It is believed that-the precedin disclosure makes apparent the intended mo e of operation and outstanding advantages of my improved device as applied to motor cars and similar purposes, since the function of stop signals has now become well known in the automotive art. Various changes in the structural details awrrangement of my device may be resorted such for instance as thesub'stitution of pnelpmatic motive or like actuating.means, also the use of spaced cover lenses without resort to frame mountin s Y which in whole or in part carrfl clear or on y partially tinted lenses or the li a, all without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention heretofore'described and more articularly pointed out in the appended clalmst Claims:

1. In a vehicle stop signal of the wig-wag type, comprising a casing provided with an opaque wall having lura apertures adapted $1 s of spaced transmeans wholly housed within said casing and serving to bring said light into successive registry with said transparencies, said means being adapted to produce a dwell on part of said light upon reaching and registering with either of said endmost transparencies, and manipulative switch means adapted to start said motor at will and which motor while running im arts a sustained regular beatlike oscillatlon to the aforesaid single light.

2; In a unitary vehicle stop signal of the wig-wag type, comp-rising a casing enclosure provided with a removable opaque cover having a series of apertures therethrough, a transparent lens adapted to close each of said apertures and certain of said lenses are fash ioned into a contrasting color scheme of which both end lenses are given a green tone, a movable light means disposed within said casing and adapted to sweep reciprocatively along the course of said lenses, electromotive actuating means for oscillating said light, said motor being housed within the casing enclosure and adapted to bring said light into successive alignment with said series of lenses and produce a dwell upon reaching either of said outermost green lenses, and manipulative switch means adapted to start said motor at will and which motor while running imparts a sustained regular beat-like oscillation to the aforesaid single light.

3. In a unitary vehicle stop signal of the wig-wag type, comprising a casing of sectorlike pan sha e having a bottom wall with adjoined comp ementary side walls disposed in angular relation of which the diverging ends are subtended by an arcuate side wall member, a cover having a pendant rimlike centering edge adapted to exteriorly embrace' and rembvably close the open mouth of said casing,

said cover being provided with a series of spaced apertures disposed adjacent to and inwardly of said arcuate rim edge, a separate lens of colored tint mounted within each of the'cover apertures of which lenses the two endmost are given a like'color while the inadapted to successively move said light into I registry with said lenses and to produce a dwell when reaching its limit of travel in either direction.

In testimony whereof; I have herewith set my hand this 2nd day of April, 1928.

WILLIAM E. SIGNOR. 

